Okay, Break Time Over!

Happy holidays everyone! It’s been a while, but I’m still here 🙂 Since my 50-miler in September, I’ve been taking it pretty easy with the running, which has been great. It’s giving my body time to recover, allowing my mind to recharge, and it’s nice to give yourself a break from rigorous training to simply enjoy running just for the joy of it and to remind yourself why you do it in the first place. But with that being said, I have high hopes for 2015, so I thought I’d share what I’ll be working towards in the next year.

For 2015 (check out the calendar here), I plan on running a Spring marathon, the North Face 50K in the spring–which will give me the chance to compare my time with last year’s race, my second 50-miler and my first 100K. I also want to do my first Ironman (!!!! which would also be my first triathlon HA) in May in Texas, which will be dependent upon how well my training goes and my funds. Updates on training coming soon!

In order to accomplish what I’m setting out to do, I’ve re-vamped my training plan. In the past, I’ve created training plans that listed specific runs/workouts on each day of the week. This time around, I’ve decided to take a somewhat different approach. Instead of listing daily workouts, I’ve created a weekly list of key Ironman workouts, types of runs and muscle groups for strength exercises. I decided to take this approach because in the past, I’ve found it difficult to stick to a daily schedule. This plan shows me my weekly goals while allowing me the flexibility to do different workouts based on my schedule that day as well as unforeseen circumstances. See below for a sample week from my training plan (which starts next week)!

Also for 2015, I’ve decided to post pictures of myself to see physical progress. I’m not very concerned with my weight or how thin I look–I take much more pride in how strong I feel on a daily basis and during races–but I do want to take my training to the next level and challenge myself to make visible changes in my physique. I love my body for how good it is to me and what it can do, but I’m excited to see what more I can do for it! I’m posting some photos of myself I took this morning and will continue to do so every 2-4 weeks. I’m not going to use lighting or filters or anything to try to fudge how I look. This is the real me 🙂

Besides workouts, the other part of a good training plan is diet (and getting enough sleep). While I eat pretty healthy, I admit that I can do better. More specifically, my dietary goals are to actually eat more (I’ve been guilty of skipping breakfast), eat smaller meals every 2-3 hours, up my carb intake during training, and I’ll need to really limit alcohol intake. I also want to eat plant-based meals 50-75 percent of the time. (Eating plant-based 100 percent of the time is just not a realistic goal for me. I like cheese. And burgers. And cheeseburgers.) Earlier this year, I tried to go vegan temporarily with a couple co-workers, and since I wasn’t really prepared, I ended up just eating a lot of junk food. Luckily, my older brother got me an awesome vegan cookbook (below) for Christmas this year. I actually tried out my first recipe today, and it was a success–click on image below for delicious vegan lentil taco recipe!

So that’s kind of an update on my planned races, training plan and my fitness and nutrition goals. I’m super pumped about them and am excited to share next year’s progress (as well as the inevitable setbacks). Wish me luck!!! What are your goals for the new year?

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Published by Jackie Ho

Hello! I'm Jackie. I live in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia with my boyfriend and two adorable kitties. I enjoy chasing after my running dreams, cooking delicious healthy food and sharing my journey along the way.
View all posts by Jackie Ho

Ultrarunner and recipe developer. A place where I share my journey to qualifying for Boston and training for my first 100-mile race, as well as natural, balanced recipes to help you feel your best. On a mission to connect, create and inspire.